“Zhong Qiu Jie”, which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon – an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck.Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.
The Mid Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon on the autumn Eve in ancient times. Sacrificing the moon is a very ancient custom in China. It is a kind of worship activity of the ancients to the “moon god” in some parts of ancient China. In the autumn equinox of the twenty-four solar terms, it is the ancient festival of sacrificing the moon.It also spawned Myth such as Chang’e running to the moon and Wu Gang cutting down trees
The Mid Autumn Festival comes from the traditional “autumn equinox festival”. In ancient farming society, the ancients believed that the movement of the moon was closely related to agricultural production and seasonal changes, so sacrificing the moon became an important sacrificial activity. Sacrificing the moon, as one of the important customs of folk festivals, has gradually evolved into activities such as appreciating the moon and eulogizing the moon.
In the 14th century, the eating of mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival was given a new significance.The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes.
Mid-Autumn Festival is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people.
Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered.The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes.
Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack.On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government.What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D.1368-1644).Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.
On this mid autumn festival, owatch wishes you a Happy Mid Autumn Festival and family reunion！
